A pilot project to improve the quality of care for older people has been launched in Darlington.

The Growing with Age project aims to increase the facilities at care homes and work to make residents' lives more active, stopping them from becoming isolated and excluded from society.

The Darlington scheme is one of ten pilot schemes nationwide and is the first in the country to be launched.

The project will be piloted at the Darlington Manor residential home in Falmer Road and The Gardens care home off Salutation Road,

Over the next 18 months, management, staff, relatives and residents will be encouraged to join forces with local services, clubs and churches to increase the number of activities available to the elderly.

It is also hoped that residents will meet new friends and be able to learn new skills from their experiences.

The project is being sponsored by the National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People.

The association has worked with various other groups to provide training and ideas for staff working in care and nursing homes.

The new project will also work to encourage different sections of the community to get involved with what is happening in care homes.

Barbara Avila, spokeswoman for the project, said: "We want to raise the morale and profile of activity providers, many of whom do their work against the odds and with little or no training support.

"This will help improve the range and quality of activities provided for older people.

"We also want to increase and further develop sustainable links with the local community and make care homes part of the community as opposed to place where we put away our older frail residents.